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Hainanese Delicacy’s Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice @ Far East Plaza

We can’t deny that this Hainanese chicken rice stall located on the 5th floor (aka food level) of Far East Plaza is popular among the mall patrons and even staff working in the mall but what exactly makes this chicken rice stall tick?

Let’s find out.

It’s not hard to find this place, actually. During peak hours, just look out for the only eatery that has a constant queue right outside. And unlike other “eating house” on the same level, this is a chicken-rice only eatery that serves nothing else but Hainanese boneless chicken rice (and some complimenting dishes too!)

You will most likely be ushered into the eatery by the usual friendly uncles who run the eatery and not notice the many media write-ups and coverages that are pasted all over on the glass that seperates the kitchen and dining area. They are telling you how nice the chicken rice here really is.

I always consider this eatery to be a “fast-in, fast-out” kind-of place. I mean, you wouldn’t fancy a long session of chit chat with your friends after the meal or hog on to the table for a good half hour before moving on to your shopping. Just order, eat and off you go which in one way or another, makes this place pretty popular among the working population around the area to eat in or take away because of the short waiting time.

Hainanese Chicken Rice is famously known for it’s extremely fragrant rice which is made from a mixture of ingredients such as chicken stock and ginger (even pandan leaves are added for some stalls), resulting in fine, oily and smooth steamed rice. And because the rice is usually “oily”, it would be considered guilty for those who constantly watch on their pounds. However, in the case of this eatery, you can probably down the entire plate of rice without feeling much sense of guilt. I’m not entirely sure how the rice here is being prepared but it’s really not oily at all. That probably comes at a price – indeed the rice served here may not be as fragrant when compared to other stalls out there but the standard is still there. By standard, I mean you can eat the rice on it’s own. That’s how good the rice here is, just healthier.

One would often find the standard serving in a plate of chicken rice may not be enough to make you go “ahhh”. At least that’s for our case. We ordered a serving size for 3 pax (as above) but in actual fact, there’s just 2 of us. Finishing a 3-portion plate among 2 people is well, chicken feet. We went for the original “white” (aka steamed) chicken. The chicken meat is soft, tender, juicy and goes really well with the rice. Cucumbers are aplenty too. The chilli, which is another highlight in the world of chicken rice, is not too spicy but still good enough to kick up some oomph. And have we mentioned that the ginger dip-sauce is as good as well?

For those who are health-conscious, you would be glad to know that the chicken here is so well done that it’s very easy to separate the fatty skin from the meat. So no excuses to skip chicken rice now!

On a side note, we have to let you know that the roasted chicken would normally be sold out by dinner time so if you are only into roasted chicken, you probably want to pop by earlier. That said, the original steamed chicken is still good!

When we mentioned complimenting dishes for chicken rice, we often see the usual You Cai (油菜) aka Xiao Bai Cai or Bean Sprouts (豆芽) in Oyster Sauce. Here, they also serve Dou Miao(豆苗) in Oyster Sauce which is one of our favourite vegetables. If you are into soup, try out the Salted Vegetable Duck Soup （咸菜鸭汤 ）. Based on our frequent visits to this eatery, we can say that the standard of the soup served here varies from time to time. Most of the time it’s really good, although there will be times when you might find the soup to be a little oily.

Conclusion
Reasonably priced food matched with great taste. Definitely worth trying the chicken rice here when you are in the area. However, be prepared to queue when it’s peak hours.